with Walter Simson

February 2012

02/14/12

The graphic arts have experienced a long-term spate of hard times. This is not only because of cyclical economic recessions, which can cause declines in advertising and business activity in general. Certainly, the Great Recession of 2008-2010 qualified on that score. But we also are suffering from longer-term trends that affect the industry: a reduction in the use of paper, books, newspapers, and other publications; substitution of electronics for other business services, such as tickets, contracts, and warranties; and changes in the use of paper in packaging and labels.